Copycat Apple Store Prompts China Investigation

By

Loretta Chao

July 25, 2011

BEIJING—Chinese authorities in the southwestern city of Kunming have launched a sweeping investigation of electronics stores after media reports said one retail outlet seemed to be copying Apple Inc.'s store format.

The inspection will cover business licenses, authorized permits of brand use, and the purchasing channels of each store, said China's state-run Xinhua news agency, citing a worker with the city's industrial and commercial...